Blizzard initially had Diablo 3 set to release this year, unfortunately that is no longer the case. The company announced today that the game would be pushed back until early 2012.

CEO and Co-founder of Blizzard Entertainment, Mike Morhaime made the announcement today:

“With every game we make, the temptation is always very strong to launch as soon as possible. However, we didn’t put so many years of work into Diablo III to release a game that was almost ready. The beta test is going very well, and we look forward to making the most of the extra time we’re taking to deliver an experience that lives up to our vision for the game and the expectations of our players. Next year is going to be an incredibly busy one for Blizzard, and we hope an incredibly fun one for Blizzard gamers.”

Of course, you know Blizzard, they’re cool guys and won’t push you under the bus. So due to the delay, Blizzard plans on using that time to extend the closed beta test.

We’ve been playing the beta all week and already have some videos and impressions for you to check out. Stay tuned for plenty more!

Blizzard didn’t announce how much of an extension, but rest assured, they will make sure you’re not entirely pissed off.